How many times has this happened to you--you're out at a pub with your friends, knocking back a wee bit of whiskey and brew, and the next morning you wake up groggy and confused with Psalm 1 tattooed down your back.

OK, probably never, but this tattoo does call to mind an interesting phenomenon.  Almost from the start, Christianity has been a religion of the book.  This aspect of its identity has taken numerous forms, not least of which is a recurring tendency within some quarters to value text over image as a means of expressing one's faith. 

As we move beyond the Gutenberg era, however, we shouldn't be surprised to see the text itself become an image of belief.  Or is this verbal display a not-so-subtle form of resistance, colonizing the tattoo form with words?  You be the judge!

More Scripture tattoos here.